23 women were surgically sterilised without anaesthesia. (Representational)
At least 23 women were forced to undergo tubal sterilisation, also known as tubectomy, without anaesthesia by doctors and medical personnel at a primary health centre in Bihar's Khagaria district, officials said on Thursday.
The Khagaria district magistrate has ordered an inquiry into the incident that took place at a PHC in Alauli block and asked the civil surgeon to complete the probe at the earliest.
"There are reports that 23 women were surgically sterilised without anaesthesia at a PHC in Alauli recently. Around 30 women were scheduled to undergo the procedure but seven fled from the establishment due to fear and informed the locals," Khagaria Civil Surgeon Amarkant Jha told PTI.
"This is a case of serious medical negligence. How can women be forced to undergo the surgical procedure without anaesthesia? The standard practice for tubectomy is to use local anaesthesia. Inquiry is underway and strict action will be taken against those responsible. The guilty won't be spared. We are meeting the victims," he added.
Victims, while narrating their horrific experiences, said they underwent excruciating pain.
"I don't want to remember the horrific incident. I was screaming in pain, while four people held my hands and feet tightly as the doctor completed the job. Initially when I asked the doctor about the unbearable pain, he said it happens," one of the victims said.
Another victim said she was conscious throughout the surgery and underwent immense pain. The procedure involves surgical clipping of fallopian tubes. The women underwent it as part of a government-sponsored campaign run by a private organisation.
Reacting to the incident, BJP state president Sanjay Jaiswal said, "This is a shocking incident of medical negligence. It negates the state government's tall claims of good health facilities. The health minister (Tejashwi Yadav) tries to project himself as 'Robin Hood' by visiting hospitals at night but he does not know that government medical establishments in the state lack basic items such as anaesthesia."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)